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Sri Lanka defend 322 and square three match series in Headingley thriller Kusal with bat and Wellalage with ball-by Sunil Thenabadu
Sri Lanka 321 for 6 (Kusal 121, Kamindu 54) beat England 30
5 for 9 (Banton 73, Buttler 69, Duckett 67, Jacks 52, Wellalage 3-49) by 16 runs
The three match ODI series is now all square with the final at the London Oval on Sunday the 25th a DAY match Seven years on from their last away ODI victory against England – also at Headingley –
On a true surface that suited batting offered plenty of runs, Sri Lanka executed their plan A with the kind of gusto that has been sorely lacking across this tour. Kusal Mendis’ seventh ODI ton led the way, and he was sufficiently backed up by Pathum Nissanka (25), Kamindu Mendis (54), Pavan Rathnayake (48) and Janith Liyanage (32).
Then with the ball, Sri Lanka survived a potentially game-breaking opening stand, a Jos Buttler onslaught, and a Will Jacks rearguard salvo to snag what seemed at times a rather improbable win. Dunith Wellalage took many of the plaudits, with his 3 for 49 paving the way for Sri Lanka’s fightback with the ball, as did Asitha Fernando for a spell of exemplary death bowling.
Arguably the defining instant of the chase, however, came when Buttler had to retire hurt on 67 from 45 balls with what the ECB described as a hamstring “twinge”. Though he later limped back out to resume his innings, he was visibly hampered as he lasted just four more balls. England had been cruising at 253 for 4 suddenly skidded off course.
England had needed 68 off 75 at the moment
of Buttler’s injury. They managed just 52 for 5 in the remainder of their innings.
The common consensus at the halfway point was that Sri Lanka’s 321 for 6 was par for the course, but considering it was their highest first-innings total against England in ODIs since 2018 – and just their third score of 320 or more since the start of 2024 – it was still cause for minor celebration. Kusal Mendis was adjudicated as the ‘Man of the Match’.
Sri Lanka (50 ovs maximum)
|
Batting
|
R
|
B
|
M
|
4s
|
6s
|
SR
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
lbw b Atkinson
|
25
|
33
|
39
|
3
|
1
|
75.75
|
|||
|
c Brook b Atkinson
|
54
|
65
|
127
|
4
|
3
|
83.07
|
|||
|
c Banton b Rehan Ahmed
|
121
|
100
|
118
|
14
|
3
|
121.00
|
|||
|
run out (Root/†Buttler)
|
48
|
39
|
69
|
2
|
1
|
123.07
|
|||
|
c Atkinson b Rehan Ahmed
|
11
|
18
|
15
|
2
|
0
|
61.11
|
|||
|
c Root b Archer
|
32
|
26
|
38
|
4
|
0
|
123.07
|
|||
|
not out
|
16
|
15
|
25
|
1
|
0
|
106.66
|
|||
|
not out
|
3
|
4
|
8
|
0
|
0
|
75.00
|
|||
|
Extras
|
(b 1, lb 3, w 7)
|
11
|
|||||||
|
Total
|
50 Ov (RR: 6.42)
|
321/6
|
|||||||
|
Did not bat
|
|||||||||
|
Fall of wicketsDRS
1-45 (Pathum Nissanka, 9.1 ov), 2-182 (Kamindu Mendis, 29.1 ov), 3-222 (Kusal Mendis, 35.5 ov), 4-236 (Charith Asalanka, 39.4 ov), 5-282 (Pavan Rathnayake, 44.4 ov), 6-312 (Janith Liyanage, 48.2 ov)
|
|||||||||
|
Bowling
|
O
|
M
|
R
|
W
|
ECON
|
0s
|
WD
|
NB
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
10
|
0
|
68
|
1
|
6.80
|
23
|
4
|
0
|
|
|
10
|
0
|
55
|
2
|
5.50
|
33
|
2
|
0
|
|
|
7
|
0
|
50
|
0
|
7.14
|
21
|
1
|
0
|
|
|
5
|
0
|
33
|
0
|
6.60
|
13
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
10
|
0
|
63
|
0
|
6.30
|
25
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
8
|
0
|
48
|
2
|
6.00
|
21
|
0
|
0
|
England (T: 322 runs from 50 ovs)
|
Batting
|
R
|
B
|
M
|
4s
|
6s
|
SR
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
st †BKG Mendis b Wellalage
|
73
|
62
|
93
|
7
|
3
|
117.74
|
|||
|
b Wellalage
|
67
|
63
|
82
|
9
|
0
|
106.34
|
|||
|
c Rathnayake b Colombage
|
15
|
17
|
38
|
1
|
0
|
88.23
|
|||
|
lbw b Wellalage
|
1
|
6
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
16.66
|
|||
|
c PHKD Mendis b Ma
|
|||||||||
…
